John Roberts, Jr., the United States chief justice, used a report on the federal judiciary to comment on the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession. Roberts noted, “Proponents of AI tout its potential to increase access to justice, particularly for litigants with limited resources.”. The Chief…
A successful California business lives or dies by its brand. Your corporate name, logo, and slogan are often the first things a customer associates with your business. So it is crucial to protect your branding through the use of trademarks. The experienced California trademark attorneys at SLG offer a full…
Most Bay Area businesses aim to embrace diversity and inclusion as integral parts of their core values. However, these objectives are often not well-defined. For instance, a company might be committed to diverse hiring in terms of gender and ethnicity, but they may still face challenges in fostering inclusion. Additionally,…
We often see business owners ignore corporate formalities after incorporating their businesses. They labor under the misconception that forming a corporation[i], provides them with a full-proof shield from personal liability, despite how they conduct corporate affairs post incorporation. Many are not aware of the doctrines of “piecing the corporate veil”…
A founders’ agreement is a contract between co-owners of a business that outlines each of their roles and responsibilities, ownership interests, and rights in the business. It may be a standalone document or may be incorporated into a shareholders’ agreement, a partnership agreement, or an LLC agreement. In this piece,…
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) offers a great way to settle disputes without stepping into a courtroom. Two of the most popular methods of ADR are mediation and arbitration. Both provide efficient, private alternatives to traditional litigation, but they are quite different when it comes to the process and the results.…
It is common for startup founders to forgo cash-based compensation and accept only equity in exchange for their services to their startups. Most startup founders assume wage and hour laws are inapplicable to them because they are the owners of their business. However, founders, much like non-owner employees, cannot, under…
Texas entrepreneurs often embody a ‘do-it-yourself’ (DIY) ethos. In a typical startup, a compact team of committed individuals assumes various roles across the organization. While this approach can be instrumental in driving a company towards success, applying a DIY mindset indiscriminately can be detrimental and lead to significant costs for…
Once you have started your own business, one of the first decisions you must make is choosing the form in which you want to conduct your business – whether as a sole proprietorship (or partnership, in case of more than one founder) or by organizing your business in an entity…
Benefit Corporation and Social Purpose Corporation—alternatives to forming a purely “for profit” Business What do you do when you want your business to incorporate positive social or environmental impact goals into its core objectives along with maximizing profits? In California, entrepreneurs who do not want to form a nonprofit but,…